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<!-- He is attending UL, and hopes to play football for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
For now, however, former LSU running back Jeryl Brazil is in a holding pattern of sorts — and ready to run circles.
Around a track.
Multiple national recruiting websites have Brazil listed as a Cajun football commit, but it’s been learned he will not count toward UL’s Class of 2015 signees when the NCAA’s national signing period opens Wednesday.
But Brazil is a member of the Cajun track team — on scholarship, officially listed on UL’s roster and waiting to take part in his first meet.
The chance to return to football? That could come later.
“Right now he’s not officially part of the (football) program yet,” UL head coach Mark Hudspeth said.
“Once track ends,” Hudspeth said, “then it’s my understanding he wants to give football a shot.”
Asked if he was open to giving Brazil that shot, the Cajun coach’s response came as quick as the sprinter can get out of the blocks.
“Oh, absolutely,” Hudspeth said.
Brazil — a 5-11, 195-pounder from Loranger High — played one game for LSU as a true freshman in 2013, gaining 10 yards on two carries early in the season against Alabama-Birmingham.
LSU billed him as “arguably the fastest football recruit in the country as a prep standout.”
According to his Tigers track bio, Brazil was “a seven-time Louisiana state champion in the 55 meters, 100 meters and 200 meters during his prep career” and was “crowned a national champion for the first time in his prep career with his gold-medal-winning performance in the 60-meter dash at the 2013 New Balance Indoor Nationals.”
A Nola.com story from 2013 trumpeted his “world-class speed.”
He was ESPN’s No. 60 high school football recruit in the country in 2013.
According to Gannett Louisiana reports from 2013, however, Brazil was dismissed from the LSU program by coach Les Miles following three brushes with the law in Baton Rouge.
Brazil spent last season at state-champion East Mississippi Community College, where he played defensive back and emerged — according to 247Sports.com — as the nation’s composite No. 66 Class of 2015 junior-college prospect.
He indicated via Twitter last November that his “new home” would be UL, and he indeed is enrolled for the current semester.
Another ex-LSU football player and track standout, Breaux Bridge High product Kavahra Holmes, also tweeted last year that he planned to transfer to UL and play football.
That hasn’t panned out.
But it appears there are possibilities for Brazil, who also was an Under Armour high school All-American.
Initial indications out of UL were that he perhaps would take part in spring practice as a defensive back.
Now Hudspeth suggests he isn’t certain if Brazil will even take part in spring drills, and that if he does it many only be a couple of sessions late next month.
For now, he’s a strictly a Cajun track guy.
If things do work out and he does wind up playing football for UL next season, he’d – according to NCAA rule — have to convert to a football scholarship before doing so.
And if that happens, Hudspeth isn’t sure where Brazil might play.
“His junior-college coach told me that he thinks that he can be an outstanding offensive player,” Hudspeth said. “He said that he thought that’s what (Brazil) was. He said he played defense out of necessity for them, and he thinks he’s even a better offensive player.
“(It’s) exciting to know that he can play both, so when we cross that bridge we’ll decide which is probably best for him.”
UL Commitment List
Heading into Wednesday’s opening of the NCAA national signing period, a look at UL’s 20 known Class of 2015 football recruiting commitments to date:
Position/Player
School
Ht/Wt
PK Stevie Artigue
Lafayette High
5-8, 175
S/WR Keenan Barnes
Madison (Miss.) Central
6-4, 185
LB Alonzo Brown
Magee (Miss.)
6-0, 200
*P Steven Coutts
Queensland, Australia
6-4, 180
OLB Joe Dillon
Tylertown (Miss.)
6-3, 220
OL Kevin Dotson
Plaquemine
6-4, 315
* CB Christian Goodlett
Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
6-0, 185
*CB Kamar Greenhouse
Marksville
6-1, 175
WR Gary Haynes
Manvel, Texas
5-8, 157
WR Jarrod Jackson
East St. John
6-1, 180
WR Michael Jacquet III
Central Sr., Beaumont
6-3, 185
DT Marcus Keyes
Port Allen
6-5, 260
OT Ken Marks
Central Sr., Beaumont
6-4, 265
S Terik Miller
Escambia, Pensacola, Fla.
5-11, 197
DE Mario Osborne
Daphne (Ala.)
6-3, 240
C Cole Prudhomme
Eunice
6-3, 285
*QB Dion Ray
Helen Cox
6-1, 195
TE Carlos Robinson II
Ouachita
6-3, 208
DB Ethan Rose
Northside
6-0, 185
OLB Allen Spurlock
Charleston
6-0, 220
QB Chris Weaver
Saraland, Ala.
6-0, 195
*RB Walter Williams
Vanveale, Miss.
6-0, 210
RB Jordan Wright
Pearl, Miss.
6-0, 200
WALK-ON/OTHER
•*CB Jeryl Brazil … Loranger/LSU/East Mississippi CC … 5-10, 190 … Ex-LSU RB on UL track team, may take part in spring football
•*OG/C Ian Bjuro … Spanish Fort (Alabama)/Nassau (N.Y.) CC … 6-3, 285 … Walk-on/already enrolled
•*WR Brennen Robinson … Franklin … NA/NA … Walk-on/already enrolled
* midyear enrollee and/or already on campus
– Compiled by Tim Buckley
NEW RECRUIT
UL has picked up a verbal commitment from Daphne (Ala.) High defensive end Mario Osborne, it was confirmed Monday.
Rivals.com reported that the non-binding commitment, which can be made official when the NCAA’s national signing period opens Wednesday, was made Sunday.
Osborne was picked to play in the prestigious Mississippi-Alabama High School All-Star Classic, which was held in Montgomery.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder is the No. 27 composite recruit out of Alabama and the nation’s composite No. 42 strongside defensive end, according to 247Sports.com.
It’s unclear where Osborne took his official visits, but 247Sports.com reported he had ones planned for Western Kentucky and Minnesota and Rivals.com reported he had an offer from WKU.
Osborne had several early offers from Power Five conference programs — including Georgia and others — but it’s uncertain how many, if any, remained on the table late in the recruiting process.
He becomes UL’s 23rd known and reported commit.
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